Flightless
by I.Hope.You.Dance.7
Summary: Selena was like a caged tropical bird- just a pretty thing to look at, who never learned to fly. Kathy was like a sky-bound falcon- always in flight. Put the two together, and you'd think they'd fight- instead, the falcon teaches the tropical bird how to fly. Because that's just what she does. One-shot, friendship fic. Rated T because Kathy calls Chase a swear-word at one point.


**This is inspired by Iseki, who wrote a Bo/Luke/Dale friendship and family piece in her attempt to try and populate the forums with more than just pairing fics. I decided I'd give it a try. I was originally going to do Maya/parents, but then I thought of this! I don't like when Kathy is friends with the main character, and Selena is tossed aside in either hate or forgetfulness- and it doesn't make any sense to me. If Kathy isn't there for Selena, who is?**

**Note: Whenever there is an XxXxXx, a different girls second-person is in play- except for in the beginning and end. Those are just general. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon. Sorry. Hope you enjoy anyway!**

"He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying."

-Friedrich Nietzche

Selena was like a caged tropical bird.

She was not flightless, as there is nothing mysterious or beautiful about a bird who can't fly; merely the awkward tragedy in their opposing existence. No, Selena was a bird with wings that was capable of flight- she'd just never learned how. She was merely a preened creature, living in a cage- something pretty to look at that was kept on the ground, away from the sky where it could start to doubt the life it was living.

Kathy was like a sky-bound falcon.

She was wild and free; sensible, but at the same time senseless. She was beautiful in her wild glory; an intangible thing that has let its self be touched. She was made for the speed she relished in; able for the loneliness that came with being her, but warm enough to be a loyal friend. She had never known the confines of a cage- she'd been pushed from the nest and quickly learned how to spread her own wings. This is Kathy, who never had any doubts at all.

And this? Well, this is the story of how the falcon taught the tropical bird how to fly.

XxXxXxXxXxX

The minute Selena stepped into the Bar, she knew she was home.

…Or at least, a place that smelled like a home. Not her home, mind you- her home smelled like fruitless, pretty things and dried coconuts. This place smelled like spilled alcohol and broken dreams; good times and fresh-cut lumber. It smelled like freedom.

Much unlike the place she had begged for a job before coming here- that stupid Inn with the funny name and the grouchy pink-haired cook- the bar had a personality. The tables were scrubbed clean, but the floor had spots where you could see where alcohol had spilled. The counter and kitchen were in the same small area; but, instead of seeming cramped, they were well-balanced. It had a clean-cut stage with various instruments surrounding it; it seemed to be made of pure wood. It looked fresh and new, but at the same time sagged under the weight of stories. _I'd love to dance on that. _

"Um…Hello? We aren't open right now, so you should come back later." A feminine voice sounded behind her, an awkward thing with a mish-mash tone stuck between Western and what Selena presumed was Castanetian.

Selena bit her lip. Her first run-in with a citizen of Castanet- that grouchy old cook in the stupid-named Inn- wasn't a good one, and she was determined to make this one better. She turned around, putting a pretty smile on for whatever sort of person stood behind her. _They have to like me for this job. Let them like me. _

"I realize that," she said, even though she had honestly just waltzed right in, "I was just hoping you had a spot for an entertainer.

She hadn't been looking at the person who spoke when she'd been speaking herself, and so she took the gap between sentences to look her up and down- later realizing that she'd been doing the same thing.

The woman in front of her couldn't be much older than herself- early twenties, twenty-five at most- and held herself with a certain air of pride. One couldn't help but see why. She was very pretty- stunning, really. She had this thick blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail, her dark green eyes beautiful in their low make-up. The woman's face was not a dainty one- rather rugged, for a woman's- with her high cheekbones and her straight-but-not-large nose. Her body was curvy- not as curvy as Selena's, of course- but she used what she had. She was clearly strong- her thighs were large, even though her waist was small. Some may call what she dressed in _inappropriate- _but, she worked at a bar, Selena guessed. What else would there be to wear? Her hand was on her hip, her green eyes traced with skepticism- but at the same time, Selena decided she liked her. She seemed wild and free, but still touched by the world.

"An entertainer, huh?" She said in the strange hodge-podge of a voice she had. "What do you do?"

"I'm a dancer," Selena replied, suddenly aware of her own tropical accent. "Obviously, I do a lot tropical stuff."

"Huh. I don't know. I don't really think we need- "

"Please?" Selena knew she interrupted, but her desperation was getting the better of her quicker than she would've liked. She needed this job; she needed to be a dancer. Selena had already looked at the map by the Mayor's office. All the other places were practical, functional- she had to have this job, or become a seamstress or something. "I'll work for cheap! Wouldn't it be fantastic to put that stage into use?"

The blonde woman eyed her with green eyes, as though trying to see through her instead of at her. "Why do want this job so badly?"

At first, Selena wanted to say 'I don't, and if I did, I wouldn't tell you', but then realized that would be an unintelligent response if she wanted to be hired. "I… I'm new to Castanet; I'm from the Toucan Islands." Selena looked at the other young woman, wondering how much she'd understand. "I need to prove to my parents I can do what I love- dancing- and live on the Mainland without running back home."

The blonde smiled, as though proving yourself was a familiar old friend to her. "You coulda just said so!" Her voice took on a much lighter tone, even though Selena had never noticed it had been dark- just skeptical. "Here, I'll go get my Dad- he owns this bar- and see what he thinks. No guarentees, but he appreciates pride." She whirled around on her heels, tossing a few words over her shoulder as she went in search of her father. "Be right back!"

Selena nodded, than felt foolish for doing so, as the blonde could not see her. The blonde's mood change baffled her; just a small bit of a truth sent her up a few levels of welcomeness. She later realized, as they grew in friendship, that it was the glance of a layer other than 'confident, tropical, dancer'- a response that could guarantee that she could put up with the newly hired dancer. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, Selena watched the door impatiently until- five minutes after she'd disappeared- Kathy returned with a bearded man in suit.

The man had broad shoulders and a generally large persona- if he walked into a room, you'd look, nod, and turn away. He was nothing spectacular, but he was a presence all the same. He looked at Selena with his daughter's green eyes, traced with a darkness that had not been in the blonde's. Selena stepped back, just a little.

"So you want to dance for my bar?" His voice was gruff, like you would think upon seeing him, but also held this trace of kindness that Selena was surprised to hear. His tone was as awkward as his daughter's- much more Western than Castanetian.

"Yes, very much so."

She felt the desperation rack her body- if this man said no, what would she do? She couldn't go home- not after leaving like she did- but it's not like she could work for the clinic, or at a farm. No one with a brain would see her as someone who'd be good at that. She could learn, perhaps- but that's not what she wanted. If she got what she wanted… Yes, everything hinged on these two odd bar people.

The man looked her over with those green eyes, and she tried not to flinch under his steady gaze. Then he shrugged- he _shrugged._ "Low pay, you said? I can't argue with that. Be nice to have the stage used for something other than once-a-season drunk Karaoke. You're hired. You start tonight."

Selena smiled, privately throwing a little luau in her head. "Thank you so much!"

The man nodded, and turned back towards the door that he had come from, done with the conversation almost as soon as he'd entered it. The blonde turned to her. "Aaaannnndddd…. You get to stay here! We have an extra room for you to sleep in!"

Surprise widened Selena's eyes. She hadn't put any thought to where she would sleep; figuring that, once she got enough money, she could just rent from the Inn. She hadn't expected… a room here! Not that she was going to argue against it. "R-Really?" She asked, immediately hating herself for stuttering.

"'Course!" The blonde's smile was kind. "I don't think Daddy'll make ya' pay… at least not until later on.' Sides, I kinda like ya'. " Selena didn't know if that was true or not, but she decided she'd bite. Kathy's eyes lit up with the remembrance of something important. " We never did get introduced! I'm Kathy, and my Dad's name is Hayden."

_Kathy and Hayden._ Selena smiled."Selena."

"Nice name. Now, we've got four hours 'til opening time. I recommend you find your room and take a nap. It's the last one in the hall."

Selena stretched her arms. She wasn't really tired, but she wanted to be in top shape for her first night, so she nodded. "See you in four, then."

She turned around, making her way to the door- to her new room. Her new life, her new career, her new future, and- if they'd have her-

Just maybe-

Her new '_ohana._

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

"You hired a _dancer?_" Chase's words were loud and obnoxious in their surprise.

Kathy looked up from the glass she was cleaning to look at him incredulously. "Yes. Don't act so surprised, for Goddess sake! You _know _we were about to put out an ad for an entertainer!"

"Next month! You _had _to hire some tropical dancer girl who you know _nothing_ about, instead of some classy singer from the Mainland!"

"First; anybody we would've hired later we wouldn't have done a thing about either. Second; if you'd get your head from the clouds, you'd noticed this isn't exactly a classy joint. Third; I hate when people say that. We live on a peninsula. We technically _are _the mainland."

Chase huffed, skepticism and surprise loading itself in his violet gaze. " I hate when you get logical. Anyway, why are you protecting her so hard? You've none her for five seconds, if that."

His retort caused Kathy to self-evaluate; because, as annoying as he was, Chase asked some good questions. The red-haired, curvaceous, young woman wasn't someone Kathy would normally let herself trust, or even argue for. Selena did have a shady look to her, her face drawn and guarded like a horse that's spent too much time in the barn and not enough in the pastures. Part of that made Kathy like her; she was opened and closed, untouched by the world and yet still having a reason to hold a grudge against it. She would probably get on her nerves, as her entrance had proved; but she was still someone Kathy could find herself liking, at least a little bit. Besides, she was new- she needed a strong friend to get her through. Kathy could easily be that girl. Not bothering to explain all this to Chase, Kathy simply said; "Same reason I get annoyed with you; she lets the truth show through her layers instead of burying them. 'Sides who else would defend her against jerks like you?""

This shut the man up, and the two went on cleaning their glasses for a while in complete silence. She hoped Chase would give Selena the benefit of the doubt; he could make everybody's life miserable if he didn't like her. Kathy wished she knew more about the dancer, more that she could use to defend her- facing her again with the simple question- _why? Simply because she has no one else to fight for her. And that's what I do. I fight for the people who need it. _

"Hey, Kathy. Am I on time?"

The melodious, clear voice of their new dancer surprised Kathy, but she turned to see Selena as she responded; " Fifteen minutes until opening time. Perfect." She made that little a-okay sign with her fingers. "The dancer smiled, and Kathy noted that she was still in her green short pajamas and silky top. She played with the top of her fingernail nervously. _Maybe this isn't the best time…_ She thought, even though the two were already looking at each other, faces unreadable. _No way around it… _Putting on her cheery face, Kathy introduced the two, "Selena, this is our resident as- er, cook- Chase."

Chase gave her a murderous glance as she elbowed him in the ribs. "Hello."

Selena stuck up her chin, clearly able to tell what was going through Chase's idiotic brain right now. "Hey." She said curtly, turning to Kathy, "I'll go get changed now, and I'll be back soon."

As soon as she was gone, Kathy stepped on his foot.

"Owww!" Chase cried, cradling his foot in his hands. "What was that for?"

"Being a general arse. Be nice! She really, really wanted this job! She's a dancer; where else would she go?"

"The Inn, maybe?" His eyes shot lasers at Kathy; for one so secretive, his eyes betrayed a lot.

"Do you really think Yolanda would've stood for that?"

Chase paused. "No."

"Exactly. So be nice."

When Selena came back out, fully dressed, Chase gave her a nod and not another word. Kathy smiled at her, and she smiled back- but it was a weak one, leaving the waitress to wonder if she heard what Chase had been saying the whole time.

She just kept smiling, knowing that doubts never got anybody anywhere.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

Selena flopped down on her new bed with tears running down her face. It wasn't how she wanted to spend her first night after her first day of work; but Selena was one of those people who, once they start crying, they can't stop. Even if their reason was totally fruitless.

There was a hesitant knock on the wooden door. Face down on the pillow, Selena's words were muffled as she yelled; "Go away!"

"I can't. You're in my room." Kathy's words were smooth, kind- almost expectant. For the first time since she met her, Selena found herself hating her. She sounded like one of tourists to Toucan Island who thought that they were so much better than her because they had a _life._

Selena lifted her head from Kathy's pillow, noting the pictures surrounding her and the fact that she was lying on a horse blanket. _Fantastic. Just fantastic. Of course she would walk into the wrong room. _Not knowing what to say that wouldn't make her sound like a total fool, Selena didn't say anything. After a pause, she heard the door creak open. Selena didn't move her head from the position it was in, but felt the sagging of the bed as Kathy sat down on it. She started to pull back the tears, even though she hadn't been crying very hard in the first place.

"I thought I told you to go away."

Kathy sighed. "Did you really think I would?"

Selena looked up at Kathy, starting to care less and less if her charcoal was running. "I've known you for ten minutes. How am I supposed to know?"

Kathy paused, as if thinking it over. Instead of responding, she said; "Why are you crying? You danced great tonight. Everybody loved you."

'Everybody' meant some red-haired lug who kept winking at Kathy, an old man she presumed was his grandfather, Chase, Hayden, and Kathy. Selena didn't know what she had expected- nothing glamorous, really- but not something as small and… _mundane _as what she got.

"That's not it." Selena muttered, not bothering to look up at the blonde. It was part of it, perhaps- well, maybe more than just 'part' of it- but the fading glamour of the bar was something she could deal with. She'd had enough fake glamour to last her a lifetime.

"Is it Chase?" Kathy seemed intent on her guessing game. "He can be an ass, but he really softened up when he saw you dance."

No, it wasn't the cook- he had very little to play in her tears. She was used to people looking down on her- that's all tourists ever did. She could see the hostility in his eyes- but his lack of words seared into her more than anything else did. She laughed, not hiding the bitterness there. "I can deal with him."

"Good." She paused, as if to listen to Selena's fading cries. She hadn't been sobbing since Kathy entered the room, but every once in a while, couldn't help but sniffle. Kathy then sighed, as if she was fed up asking questions. "Why, then?"

She paused, finally picking herself up to face the waitress. The other woman's face was empty of tears, but her green eyes were wide with curiosity. "How old are you?" Selena avoided her reply with a question of her own.

Kathy met it evenly. "Twenty-three."

Younger than she expected. That was good. It would mean that there was a chance she would understand. Biting her lip, she said; "Have you ever done something, and when the weight comes crashing down on you… you just can't help yourself?" When Kathy nodded, her face grave, Selena said, "That."

She turned away, putting her feet on the ground, surprised to feel hands wrapping around her shoulders in an awkward hug. "I meant when I said that I liked you." Kathy's voice came from behind her. "And if you want a friend to get through this with, I'd turn that sassy body around and talk to me."

Selena felt a small, soft smile coming up on her lips like an unwanted, but still welcome, guest. _A friend. _Kathy didn't understand that she'd never had one of those- dangling the words in front of her was like dangling a mouse in front of a cat. The promise hit her like a hurricane, and the force of it turned her around. Kathy let go of her shoulders, her face lit up like a sky full of fireworks when she saw that Selena had made the right decision.

There was a pleasant pause before Kathy said, not asked, "You miss them. Your parents." Selena nodded. _A friend. _Kathy seemed to soften with understanding. "I'd miss him too, if I had to leave." Selena noted that Kathy just said _him_- not them. For the first time, Selena wondered where Kathy's mother went. She didn't ask- later, maybe- but she wouldn't risk here and now for that. "You were very brave to go away."

_Brave?_ Selena snorted. "Four years after my eighteenth birthday. Four years after my official freedom."

Kathy shrugged. "You still did it. Did they know?"

"No. I ran away." She pressed her lips together, wondering if the next question was one she could ask. It was- if she was honest, which she usually was- one of the main reasons for her tears. The indecision of it. "Do you think I should send them something?"

"Yes." Kathy's answer was immediate. "A letter. Send it with Pascal or something. They're your parents. They deserve to know the truth."

_The truth. _It seemed like such a dominate force inside the just-slightly older woman. The force behind Kathy's voice left Selena wondering if there was a story sitting behind the barbed wires; but, again, she didn't ask. She wasn't nosy, although she liked the truth as much as her companion- a hard thing, but a necessary thing. After twenty-two years of living in fantasy-land, Selena couldn't help but appreciate truth- even in this sort of manner.

_Send it with Pascal or something. _"The farmer. She seemed so excited about all the 'resources' on the island- I have no doubt she'll be coming back. I could… I could send it with her."

Kathy grinned. " Rene- oh, the new one! Molly! Yeah, she comes here sometimes. Sounds like a plan, hon!"

_I never said I would actually do it. _Yet, now that the words were out, there seemed to be no other way- no other way to let them know that she still loved them, but it was about time she learned to spread her wings and fly. _Spread her wings and fly. _The words sounded almost as unfamiliar- even in her head- as friend.

"How do you do it?" Selena asked, spreading her legs in a more comfortable position. The tears were all dried on her face, and no more were spilling- she was completely attentive and full, as though the mere presence of the word 'friend' had healed her.

Kathy tilted her head, genuinely confused. "Do what?"

"Be so good at spreading your wings. Being a friend to some fragile and confused tropical girl you barely know. Being so confident in where you are and what you do."

Kathy got this dazed looked on her face. "I don't know. I'm not, really. I just do what I do."

Selena shook her head. Kathy didn't understand, did she? She didn't know how hard it was to look at someone and say 'I like you' and then actually follow through with it. To walk into your bedroom with some crying girl on your bed and actually make progress. To see more than Selena than meets the eye. "Then teach me. I don't care how much you say you don't know- you do. I want you to teach me. " The bravery in her words surprised her- she did want this, almost as bad as she wanted the job at the bar. She was tired of pretending to be strong when she was really fragile.

"Teach you how to fly?" Kathy laughed softly. "I don't know how good I'll be at that."

Looking at the sparkle that had risen in Kathy's eyes, Selena shook her head, ignoring the happiness that was blooming it her. "Did you know," Selena said with a soft smile, "that you're a damned good liar?"

XxXxXxXxXxXx

Kathy didn't realize she needed another friend until she had one.

She had plenty of friends, of course; people seemed to be attracted to her generally bubbly persona and large smiles. She put herself out there to be loved- she sought out friends. They were all different, all wonderful in their own ways- but none of them were like Selena. Kathy found herself getting closer and closer to the red-haired dancer; and soon enough, you could almost call them _best friends. _That was something Kathy hadn't had in years- she used to have Renee, of course- but the brunette only came to town once, maybe twice, a week and spent most of that time fishing. It wasn't that Renee didn't like Kathy anymore, of course- it was just that she wasn't the sort of bar person that Kathy had become. Their differences had amounted to more than their similarities over the years. Renee was now more of a cousin that you saw here and there, every once in a while, that you enjoy when you have them but don't particularly need them when their gone.

Selena made sure that didn't happen to her.

The tropical dancer shoved her way into a permanent spot in Kathy's- and Hayden's- lives. Kathy grew used to her groggy smile as she got up in her green pajamas at eleven o'clock, heading her way into the bar kitchen to make what she liked to call 'coconut tea'. Kathy grew to love sitting at one of the Bar tables besides her, taking a sip of her coffee- although she'd already been awake and dressed for two hours- and talking about what crazy antics had happened the day before. Selena would work like a sundial; predictably unpredictable. She'd go through her daily route; wake up, have morning tea with Kathy, get dressed, go outside, talk to Kathy more, go down to dance at the beach- but she would take hours to do what had taken her minutes the previous day. She could be late to work because she'd stopped to argue with Luna two hours later than she usually did; she could miss morning tea because she'd promised to teach Maya how to make spicy omelet rice. Kathy learned to love it; the constant change in a pattern that wasn't all that changing at all. It made life… interesting. Kathy hadn't known she'd hated clockwork until she'd got the sundial.

Really, the only thing Selena was consistent at was the 'flying' lessons.

Both young woman had pegged them that, after a fit of 'jeez, we're ridiculous' giggles. After Selena had explained her 'caged bird' thing to Kathy, Kathy promised that she would teach that free bird how to fly.

Eventually.

Kathy smiled as she thought back to all of that. It was spring now, and that meant they'd been doing 'flying' lessons for nearly a season and a half. Spring mean that Selena had traded purple for green and days spent hunched over in her covers for more days dancing on the beach. Spring also meant that Selena would finally be doing what Kathy had waited all winter for. Kathy looked over at her companion. "You ready for this?"

"No. Absolutely not." The slightly-younger-woman looked terrified out of her wits, clutching onto the horses reins like it might throw her off any minute. "I'm done now, I flew, I have wings, yadada. Can I get down now?"

Kathy grinned. "Hon, lighten up! Bob there is the gentlest of the gentle! Renee's taught Chloe and Taylor how to ride on him." Kathy held in the thought that he was also the 'laziest of the lazy', knowing that it probably wouldn't help any. "You'll be fine! Ready Renee?" Kathy turned to the rancher's daughter, who looked to be enjoying herself.

"Yep! Ready, set, go!"

Kathy kicked her heel into the horse, and being the epic racer she was, shot off from their starting point. She felt the wind flap through her ponytail and Woody's dark mane. It felt free, as her horses' hooves pounded the hard ground and she rode posed on his back. _This is what freedom feels like. _

Then, as soon as it had started, it was over.

Bringing her horse to a stop, Kathy looked over her shoulder to see where Selena was. Bob was trotting along, barely above a walking pace, and Selena had stopped looking terrified and started looking more annoyed. Kathy couldn't help but laugh as her friend kicked at the horse's side. "Go faster, stupid horse!" Bob broke into a full run suddenly and Selena screeched. "Never mind! Never mind!"

As soon as Bob saw Kathy he slowed to a stop, nuzzling Woody's face. Selena slumped over on his back. "Wasn't that fun?" Kathy asked.

Selena looked up, murder in her eyes. "You call that free? I'd rather be dancing. You're a terrible friend for putting me through that."

Kathy laughed again, having learned that Selena only meant half of what she said. "I don't believe you truly believe that."

Selena snorted. "What do you know?"

"Practically everything. I'm your mama bird."

Selena snorted, but smiled, and Kathy reached over their horses to hug her. "Thank you." Selena whispered. "For everything."

"I haven't done anything yet, hon." She grinned. "I know that, one day, you'll return the favor."

Selena shook her head. "Whatever you say, Mama bird."

XxXxXxXxXxX

The caged tropical bird let herself free- but it was the steady falcon who taught her how to spread her wings.

**Meh. Tried to show Kathy's tougher side, but I feel like I failed. :p Please review with your opinions! Also, I urge you to write your own friendship or family fic! I had fun with this one, and I feel like it has really expanded some of my writing skills. Haha. There's so much to explore! **


End file.
